TWO DECADES SO WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG TO START THIS BLOG?

I'm not new to this, I'm true to this.

I've been traveling for over two decades. I'd like to say "since before it was cool", but it was always cool. I should say, since before there were iPhones. Does that make me special, though? No, it make's me ancient, *coughs*, let's just call it "vintage"...okay maybe let's just say that makes me, a *ahem coughs again* "classic". But yes, in the times of Mapquest and digital cameras, yah, that kinda "classic".

My first trip, was on a cruise, so I don't really particularly count that, but travel is travel. We will get into that debacle at a later date. We first flew into San Juan, Puerto Rico which there I will say, there I was bitten by the "travel mosquito", so to speak. My real love of travel started when I flew over the pond to Spain! Oh Spain! I was HOOKED! Barcelona, yes. Tapas, sí, especially patatas bravas, flamenco, say no more, or "say less" as the kids say. I finally got to use the version of Spanish I actually learned in high school. You know, that "vosotros" tense we were taught we would never need. Well, I needed it and I used it generously. ¡Vale!

Me Attempting to Flex My Creativity From the Top of Some Columbus Monument with My Trusty Toshiba Digital Camera

Look at me Flexing with my Toshiba digital camera again at a Flamenco show. I actually love this shot though!

If You Don't Believe that it was 20 Whole Years Ago, Peep that Sign - Barcelona Spain 2003

I could go on and on about this trip and my likes and dislikes but, this is the trip that marked me, branded me, let's say. "Wanderluster" was seared into my little jamon serrano, (since we're talking about Spain) and I wouldn't have it any other way.

IN HONOR OF MY LATE FATHER With a knot in my throat every time I think to myself "dad would be so proud", I cherish the thought that I've lived the life he only dreamed of. I failed to mention that I was raised in a home full of National Geographic magazines, yes those yellow trimmed relics of the past. Dad was like a walking encyclopedia (kids, that's Google's predecessor), he also read those and almanacs for fun, yes fun. He had such a nomadic spirit and took mom and us kids everywhere. Road trips as far as the Subaru could take us, even if it were to the complete other side of the country. I took my first plane with him at 3 and that was unheard of for people of our skin tone at the time. We were quite fortunate, I must say, until a undiagnosable disorder stopped him in his tracks. My poor daddy wasn't able to see all of those places that he read about, but little did he know, his baby girl would, or at least try to.

So since then, I've been busy trying to live my most meaningful life. I've been living, working, volunteering and traveling. (Not just traveling to get the perfect shot, because I don't always get those.) But I've been traveling slowly, to learn, to understand, to experience people and culture, just as dad ingrained in me. I never wanted to blog, because of my issues with impostor syndrome. "There are a thousand bloggers better than me. What do I have that others don't?" Are the thoughts that have haunted me. Is it about content? No, I have 20+ years of content, now that's the challenge, too much content, how to even filter through it all, bla, bla, bla. Then this day and age everyone has these fantastic camera's and presets, how can I even compete with that? It is what it is, this is me. This is my life, this is my passion. I am human, and I will share the journey of this imperfect human that has enjoyed so many perfectly imperfect places, cultures and incredible people. Thanks for visiting my Ted Talk.

-Besos

Amber